Global campaign Empathy FC launches to redefine women’s football with empathy at its core

Ashoka Sport for Changemaking has launched Empathy FC, a global campaign and vision-to-action blueprint designed to challenge traditional structures, rules, and cultures within football and create a more inclusive and thriving sport.

The new initiative is set to transform women’s football worldwide, putting empathy at the heart of the game.

Co-created with 15 changemakers from across the UK and Europe, Empathy FC asks a bold question: “What would football look like if empathy was built into the system, not just a nice-to-have?”

By centering conscious empathy a practiced skill that underpins curiosity, conflict resolution, and inclusive leadership the campaign seeks to redefine how football is designed, governed, and experienced.

“Empathy in football can look like a coach pausing to ask a young girl why she no longer feels safe on the pitch and redesigning training sessions to rebuild trust and belonging,” the campaign notes.

This approach challenges the “current system of kindness” in football, highlighting gaps that often uphold exclusion, harassment, and marginalization.

Empathy FC aims to address these gaps through four main objectives: exposing structural inequities in the sport, reimagining rules and governance with empathy at the centre, positioning Wales as a global leader in advancing gender equity in football, and offering a replicable model for other countries ready to embed empathy across sport systems.

The initiative emphasizes that empathy is not simply a personal virtue but a strategic tool for systemic change.

“It can look like male allies using their influence to challenge sexist behaviour in changing rooms and online spaces,” the campaign explains, “or like facilities designed with everyone in mind, from gender-neutral changing areas to community hubs where families, carers, and fans feel welcome.”

By promoting inclusive practices and embedding empathy into decision-making, Empathy FC seeks to create environments where women’s voices are heard and acted upon rather than tokenized.

“It can look like a club boardroom where women’s voices are not tokenised, but truly heard and acted upon,” the campaign statement adds, signaling a commitment to long-term institutional change.

The initiative also represents a global call to action for football stakeholders—from coaches and players to club administrators and governing bodies.

Participants who join the movement are invited to contribute to shaping policies, programs, and spaces that reflect the principles of empathy and inclusion.

“By signing up, you’re stepping onto the field with Empathy FC ready to learn, contribute, and grow this movement together,” the campaign encourages.

In collaboration with BAK Creative Agency, Empathy FC has not only launched the campaign but also begun co-creating a decision-making guide to help clubs, federations, and leagues embed empathy across their operations.

This practical resource aims to provide a roadmap for systemic transformation in football, offering actionable strategies that can be adopted worldwide.

As the global football community continues to confront issues of harassment, exclusion, and gender inequity, Empathy FC offers a blueprint for a sport that is safer, more inclusive, and centered on human dignity.

By emphasizing empathy as both a skill and a framework for decision-making, the initiative hopes to spark cultural and structural change across football systems from Wales to the world.

Empathy FC represents a vision where football is truly a game for all a sport where inclusivity, respect, and understanding are not afterthoughts but foundational elements of play.